Makaila Maniscalco, a seventh-grade student at Johnston Middle School, has been named the winner of an art contest sponsored by the Office of Special Education Services.

Makaila created a mask that won first place out of 21 entries from across the district. Judging took place April 14–17 at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, and the theme of the contest was “Who Am I?”

Makaila relies upon her memory of color, and used her tactile senses to color different parts of the piece. She likes the mask because it “keeps the viewer’s eye moving and guessing about who the mask might represent.”

As the winner of the contest, Makaila’s artwork will become the logo for the 2015 Special Education Conference, which will take place July 21–23 at Westbury High School.

Finalists were Tatum Brooks (Westside HS), Javier Gutierrez (Lamar HS), Jonathan Reyna (T.H. Rogers), and Hailey Hernandez (Wainwright ES).